Jahi Gallu
| faction= | ageoftga= }} Duchess Jahi Gallu is the head of the demonic House of Gallu in the Andarian Empire in the Fourth Age. She has a dark, troubled past but has tried to move on and embrace the ideals of the new Empire. Biography Third Age Early Years Path to Freedom Jahi was born in the Demon Realm and spent much of her demonic life there as a prostitute in the dark city of Norash'namun. During this time she gave birth to her eldest children, the Seven Sisters, and got to know Vaetris L'andariel and Nina Heeate L'andariel who were working as her colleagues. Jahi dreamed of a better life and held unrequited feelings for Duke Omaroch d'Zarnagon while failing to notice the feelings of the bard Dantalion whom she saw as a cowardly weakling who had left her alone when she had needed company. Omaroch began gathering like-minded followers over the years, and Jahi was one of those who began following his teachings of potential co-existence between different races. When Omaroch entered the Land of the Living in the Third Age to prepare things for the god Mardük's resurrection to fulfill that goal, Jahi and some of her kin followed him. Jahi's group travelled to Libaterra where they met with Omaroch's companions Drishnek, Jemuel, Richelieu. Together Jahi's demons and Jemuel's mages contained the Reactor Core Explosion which nearly wiped out a good chunk of Central Libaterra. They cast a shield around the crumbling city of Lutherin, saving countless lives in the surrounding countryside from the fallout. Hiding in the Shadows Mardük reawakened and opened a portal to the Demon Realm, after which countless demons poured into Yamato. When the Godslayer slew Mardük and began the Cataclysm, Jahi's group decided to stay in Libaterra to follow the path Omaroch had paved for them. They helped the early members of the Council of Mages, Omaroch included, to found what would become the Magicracy of Alent. Jahi noticed that when Omaroch had returned from his trip, he wasn't the same anymore; he seemed to bear a burden in his heart and had a deep sadness in his eyes. Despite Jahi's efforts Omaroch didn't divulge anything, but she couldn't forget about him. Libaterrans feared Jahi and her demonic children, however, and Jemuel decreed that in order to preserve the unity of Alent, the reborn Lutherin, demons would have to live in relative autonomy and, more importantly, in isolation from the masses who weren't ready yet to accept them as their brethren. Thus what would be known as the Northeast Side, or Threshold, was built where Jahi's kin relocated to. The demons shut themselves from the rest of the growing city and its populace which soon forgot they had ever existed. Only the founding members of Alent and a few stray people in the city knew the truth and the demons' contribution to the rise of Alent. Jahi mated with fellow demons and gave birth to many children in the following years, wishing nothing more than be left in peace. Although her children caused some mischief and even murdered a bum or two, they were allowed to live in the slum, and they did their best to survive in the harsh, poor and dirty conditions while their demonic auras slowly began twisting the Threshold into a magically ominous, almost poisonous district where few non-demons dared to tread. A few years later an Alentian gang of thugs entered Threshold for some reason or another. The demons' power had grown greatly, and Threshold's magic drew out the darkness in the thugs' hearts, which eventually resulted in the deaths of many of the thugs and driving the few surviving ones to madness. A young Javan al-Kassis was one of the few thugs who survived the onslaught, and he had a conversation with Jahi who scolded him for his naïve outlook and gave him a few words of wisdom while telling him not to return unless he had made peace with the demons of his past in his heart. Godslayer Era Defiler's Touch More info later. Day of the Damned More info later. A Cry in the Dark Dantalion and Jahi had a brief talk after their encounter in the tower. Jahi made Dantalion remember to honour the contract and leave the child resulting from their Joining to her care and that the child would never learn the identity of the father. She also harshly asked Dantalion to leave once more, feeling he couldn't contribute anything more worthwhile to her cause. It was then that her children brought an injured Refan d'Zarnagon to them, and Jahi recognized him as Omaroch's son. She noticed some strange magic was affecting him and began sucking out his infected blood while Dantalion looked on. Around the same time another person entered the tower, this time a face from the past: Javan al-Kassis. The pale merchant had come to warn Jahi about the arrival of the Northern Horde's agents to Alent and asked for her help in dealing with the problem because Alent was something they both called home. Refan woke up from his trance around the same time, and Jahi observed his actions carefully while pondering Javan's words. Eventually troubling news reached the tower: some of the teenagers of Threshold had rebelled and had dragged several Alentian residents from other districts to shacks in order to "play" with them while Harrad U'niviel, an Alentian councillor, was bombarding Threshold with magic. Realizing that dark times were ahead unless they acted, Jahi looked on as Dantalion went to deal with Harrad and Javan and Refan went to deal with the rebellious teenagers. Not long after the others had left, Jahi was revisited by Vassago himself. They had a heated argument during which Vassago nearly raped Jahi before regaining control over his impulses. Jahi quickly repelled the confused higher demon and sent him on his way but realized that not only Vassago but some other sinister force was at work in Alent, the same force which had apparently influenced Vassago to act recklessly. Jahi suspected who the source was but dared not think about it too much; she wasn't ready to face th sins of her past yet. The necromancer Razravkar Dominus came to the tower with Vani, one of Jahi's children, and offered to help Thresholders much to Jahi's surprise as she wasn't expecting any other outsiders than Javan to actually understand her plight. At the same time magic became more dense in the district, incapacitating many demons. Realizing that something must've gone wrong, Jahi asked Razravkar to find out what was going on and keep her children safe. After Razravkar had left, yet another visitor showed up, this time someone Jahi knew all too well: Vaetris L'andariel, once Jahi's colleague and now the Duchess of the Eastern Horde, approached Jahi and asked her to join her horde as her new Dreadlady, the horde's second-in-command. The archdemon also offered Jahi's children a sanctuary among her kin... or at the very least suggested that they shouldn't limit their options. Jahi was angered by Vaetris's pride, especially after the Duchess mentioned that she might be able to return Omaroch to her. Jahi then lectured Vaetris about the joys of parenthood, claiming that the Duchess would never understand what true family meant until she had given birth and seen her child grow. Vaetris left the tower after the rant, but not before reminding Jahi of her offer and mocking her stance on idealism. The night wasn't quite over for Jahi yet, though: she was visited by a projected mirage which had been created by none other than the very person she had suspected of being behind the Thresholders' actions. Her daughter, Lust, had returned and told her that their reunion would soon be at hand. After mocking her mother for a while, Lust's projected image vanished just in time for the final visitor to appear in the tower: Jemuel, the lord of Alent. Jemuel immediately gave Jahi both an offer and an ultimatum: she could get a seat in the Council of Mages as a demon representative but in exchange she and her children would have to pledge loyalty to Jemuel as well as hand in the demons who had kidnapped and tortured people in Threshold. He left soon after while leaving a warning. Jahi was troubled by these rapid meetings which had taken place one after another, and she realized she would have to make a choice not only for herself but also for her children's sake. Her troubles were eased only a little bit when the source of the oppressive magic left Threshold, and she assumed Dantalion had succeeded in dealing with Harrad's magic. Deceiver's Gambit More info later. Heart of Darkness Omaroch made his way up the tower, to be met by Jahi in the guise of his missing wife. However, upon kissing her, he knew it for an illusion, and he began speaking with Jahi regarding demons and their place in Alent. She revealed that she was pregnant from Joining with Dantalion. However, Lust interrupted them, causing Jahi to realize that she was the one behind a good deal of the manipulation in Threshold. Later that evening, a burned and injured lion collapsed in front of the tower. Jahi sensed a familiar aura and hurried downstairs, only to realize that the lion was none other than Dantalion. Lust's mocking words returned to her mind as she tried to tend the wheezing demon bard, and she understood that the 'final gift' which Lust had mentioned had been referring to Dantalion whom Lust had turned into her personal plaything--a mockery of his former, refined self--to prove to the world and to Jahi how beastly and passion-driven all males ultimately were inside if given big enough push in the right direction. Jahi grieved over Dantalion's fate and held his injured body in her arms, speaking bittersweet words to him as he finally closed his eyes. The Matron grief turned to anger at how the bard had been treated as she recognized that not all of his injuries had been caused by her daughter but by other races living in the city, and she swore in her mind to make those who had hurt him face her wrath. Despair's Wake Jahi became more resolved than ever to put an end to the conflict between Threshold and the rest of Alent after she learned that the Sarquil had gathered a mob and were heading towards the district to put an end to her and her children as revenge for what had happened a few weeks prior. She would do what she could to save her remaining children and make Lust answer for the crimes she had committed against her own kind. More info later. Chaos Descends Jahi and the survivors of the Threshold Riot built hid in the ruins under the destroyed Sarquil district. This location, dubbed the Den of Chaos, became a lair of depravity as Jahi, having been driven to the brink of despair, had accepted Vaetris's offer and was now a true, vengeful Dreadlady in every way. She had her new Eastern Horde minions locate and bring any demon survivors scattered by the riot to the safety of the Den while also having the Thresholders capture Sarquil and Alentians, both adults and children, so she could have them be tortured in many imaginative ways. More info later. Fourth Age Interim Years Herald of the Dawn Aliases and Nicknames ; Crone of Alent : One of her nicknames. ; Duchess Jahi : Her title in Andaria. ; Dreadlady of the East : Her title in the Eastern Horde. ; Maiden of Darkness : One of her nicknames. ; Matron of Threshold : One of her nicknames. ; Night Mother : One of her nicknames. ; Whore of Norash'namun : One of her nicknames. Appearance A black demon with fiery red eyes, beautiful dark hair and elegant dark wings on her back. She likes to wear revealing clothing which can change from crimson to emerald. She has a sad yet somewhat cold look in her eyes and she rarely smiles anymore. In the Fourth Age, she has adopted a human guise, appearing as a voluptuous, dark-haired woman with bronze skin clad in green. Personality and Traits Cold, guarded, intelligent and extremely protective of her children. When she gets angry, her enemies should be very afraid, especially if said enemies have threatened her children. Her laughter is cold, devoid of any warmth it may have once had. Despite her polite demeanor, underneath lies a sadistic and ruthless creature willing to do whatever necessary to get what she wants. Powers and Abilities She's above the power level of an average demon, having spent centuries growing in power. Despite her skills as a red mage who can use spells and weapons to a dangerous degree, she rarely uses her powers directly because she prefers to stay in the shadows. Relationships Dantalion Dantalion, a demon bard and mage, went way back with Jahi. Their interaction was casual albeit always on the edge; their conversations were like a delicate dance on a rope. This was because Dantalion had unrequited feelings for Jahi who didn't view him the same way. Many of Dantalion's actions were motivated by him wanting to impress her. Even after their one intimate encounter in the Threshold tower, Dantalion realized that Jahi still didn't care for him the way he had wanted. It wasn't until Dantalion was used as a pawn in Lamashtu's schemes and sacrificed himself to protect Threshold that Jahi came to regret her dismissal of him, and it helped push her deeper into darkness. Drekavac Gallu Drekavac is Jahi's youngest child and only son, his birth accelerated by the magic of the Beacon of Alent. Jahi clings to him with all her being yet acknowledges that he has essentially been born from despair, hence the name she has given him. Haagenti Haagenti came to know Jahi during their exodus from the Demon Realm. He stood by her side to keep Threshold safe from the outside world while also offering counsel to the Matron whenever he felt she needed it. As a result Haagenti became one of the few demons Jahi could confide in to an extent, so much so that he's often referred to as an "old friend" by her. Javan al-Kassis Javan and Jahi had an interesting relationship. When Javan's foolish teenage years got him accidentally involved in demon matters, it was Jahi who saved him and showed him a way towards understanding people other than one's own race. Javan in turn gave Jahi some insight into human psyche. They crossed paths a few times since then with Javan doing his best to steer Jahi towards a different path but finding it difficult. Javan disappeared after the Catastrophe and the founding of Andaria and has become one of many distant memories that Jahi has set aside as she has assumed her role in the Empire. Jemuel Jahi joined Jemuel's quest to found Alent when Jemuel promised Jahi's people a place to stay. However, Jahi ended up isolating her people in Threshold district because many Alentians weren't ready to coexist with demons yet. Jemuel himself saw Jahi as a potential ally and enemy, so their relationship was strained even though both grudgingly respected the other. Jahi viewed the Sarquil rebellion and Alent's handling of it as a betrayal just like Jemuel view the rebellious acts of Jahi's children in the same way, thus putting them in conflict with one another in the last days of Alent. After the fall of Alent and the founding of Andaria, Jahi has cast Jemuel's teachings aside and embraced her demon nature in full. Lamashtu Gallu Lamashtu, like her sisters, has a strained relationship with her mother Jahi. She wants Jahi to embrace who she used to be and acknowledge Vaetris's superiority, and she hopes that once she's humiliated Jahi enough, Jahi will join the Eastern Horde, and she can show her mother how much she's grown and what Lust is truly capable of. Jahi sees Lamashtu as an irresponsible, selfish child who has caused other people unneeded suffering just to indulge in her desires, and at the same time she's worried how their confrontation will end up if they truly meet face to face. Omaroch d'Zarnagon Jahi had unrequited feelings for Omaroch, the archdemon who saved her from a life in prostitution and who gave her hope and a means to take her children away from the corruption in Norash'namun. Jahi didn't like how Omaroch chose a human, Delora, instead of another demon as a mate, and eventually 'rectified' things by persuading Omaroch to become her mate after the Catastrophe when all demons were lost and forgot what happened in the final days of Alent. Now at the height of power and with her beloved by her side, Jahi couldn't be happier; yet, deep down both she and Omaroch know that their relationship is shadowed by their dark pasts and that their deeds may have ramifications in the future. Refan d'Zarnagon Jahi met Refan when the half-demon stumbled into Threshold by chance. She helped suck out the poison in her and eventually learned he was Omaroch's son. Although Refan felt awkward interacting with Jahi, he ultimately resolved to help her quell a demon teen rebellion. Stheno Gallu Stheno has conflicted views about her mother. On the one hand she did rebel against Jahi but as years have gone by, she has come to understand and somewhat sympathize with Jahi's actions and uses many of her teachings to her advantage. She genuinely believes Jahi would be happier with Vaetris if such a thing comes to pass that the two former friends could reconcile their different ideologies. Their reunion in Alent after the Threshold Riot turned out to be anything but pleasant as Jahi lashed out at Stheno for 'betraying' her and promised to make her and her siblings suffer for it, even going so far as to call them all filth of her loins. Stylianos Kinley Stylianos came to meet with Jahi while investiating the mystery of Threshold. Despite the two having opposing opinions on some matters, Stylianos came to see Jahi not as an enemy but a victim of oppression who could become a great ally to Alent if given a chance. Since that encounter, Stylianos has witnessed Jahi's descent into despair much to his shock, but he still sees her as an ally in need of friends even if Jahi's view of him is more jaded. To prove his intentions, Stylianos has defended Jahi and the Thresholders from an angry mob and even risked his life saving Jahi's newborn Drekavac from the ruins of the collapsed Den of Chaos. Vaetris L'andariel Vaetris, her sister Nina and Jahi used to be colleagues in Norash'namun where they worked in forced prostitution to please the demon lords. This was a traumatic time for them, and eventually Vaetris and Nina chose to use their seductive powers to claw their way up in the demon hierarchy so that they could become demon lords themselves. Jahi, meanwhile, wasn't too happy about the ruthlessness Vaetris showed and distanced herself from Vaetris who slowly formed her own horde. As time passed, the two rarely spoke anymore, especially after Jahi chose to follow the traitor Omaroch to the Land of the Living to have a new life for her and her children. Vaetris has recently shown up in Alent and had a chat with Jahi, offering her something she craves, manipulating events so that Jahi would have no choice but to side with her. Vaetris's plan succeeded but it came with a cost: although Jahi chose the Eastern Horde, her descent also awakened the darkness within her and brought back the horrifically cruel beast she had kept in check during all these years. After the founding of Andaria, Jahi has stood by Vaetris's side, seemingly loyal to her new Empress. See also *Dantalion *House of Gallu *Javan al-Kassis *Jemuel *Norash'namun *Omaroch d'Zarnagon *Threshold *Vaetris L'andariel Category:Characters from Andaria Category:Characters from Libaterra Category:Demons Category:Eastern Horde Category:Emerald Legion Category:Fourth Age characters Category:House of Gallu Category:Magicracy of Alent Category:Third Age characters